The Carousel Horse

I am getting things gathered up for our annual yard sale in May. As I go through the house cleaning, I find myself looking at doodads and knick knacks, thinking "I really don't need that. I never use it" or "I'm tired of looking at that."

I pick it up to put it in the yard sale box only to hold it in my hand and fondly remember where it came from and what it means to me. So it goes back on the shelf to collect dust for another day.

I have always been a huge fan of carousels. We went to Camden Park in West Virginia just about every summer when I was a little girl. I loved the carousel horses with all their gloss and shine. The vivid colors drew me as did the music coming from the ride.

About 25 years ago, I decided to collect carousel horses. As time went on, I grew out of that collectible phase. I didn't have a lot and I would occasionally put one in the yard sale. I have one left. And it was the first one that was given to me as a gift.

My mother got it for me for my birthday that year. I fell in love with it. It is a music box and rocks back and forth when it plays. Over the years, I have thought many times that it doesn't go with any of my current decor. I moved it from shelf to shelf over the years trying to find a place where it would be displayed prominently.

Now, I know my mother or any mother doesn't expect their child to keep everything they ever buy them. But I remember Mom's joy when she presented me with this newest addition to my collection.

As I sat here last night, trying to decide if it was time to just put it in the yard sale, I could picture Mom handing it to me with such delight on her face as I unwrapped. Then other pictures started to emerge.

I remembered when we built our house, putting it in a position of honor in my brand new bookshelves in my brand new house.

I remembered Garret spotting it when he was about 2 and wanting to see it. I would wind it for him and he would sit and raptly watch it and listen to it's lyrical sounds.

I remembered Caleb coming along and how he would go get it off the shelf and bring it to me and say "Wind it Mamaw".

I remembered Alexis discovering it and getting it off the shelf and bringing it to me. I remember the sweet smile on her precious face as she would sit and watch it rock and I would have to wind it over and over again.

I remembered Caleb and Alexis getting it down and winding it and saying "Shelby, watch."

I remembered Shelby standing their with binky in her mouth quietly absorbed in the sweet sounds and gentle rocks of the carousel horse.

Just as recently as Christmas eve when they were all over and the excitement of Christmas was upon them. I remembered standing in the door way and Alexis asking Caleb to wind the horse. He so gently got it down and carefully wound it up.

I remember all four of them for those few brief moments, stopping to watch it as it rocked back and forth.

So is it time to part with it? I think not. Too many wonderful memories go with this sweet carousel horse that I had resigned to a shelf that holds knick knacks I don't know where else to put.

With a precious new grandbaby on the way, how can I part with something that gives my grandchildren such joy and deprive our new one from delighting in it.

I think we will be finding a new place to display this great horse in all her splendor. I think she will be with our family for generations to come.

Inspiration

Do you have people in your life that motivate you to do more, be more and strive for more? I have a dear friend who is like that. She is such an inspiration to me. She is actually the one who even got me inspired to blog. Most people start their day with the morning paper. I start my morning by reading her blog. It is a mixture of spiritual and inspiring stories. (You should check it out...http://jeremiah-2911.com) She recently re-organized her craft room. Now it's gotten me into the mood to re-organize my room that I like to call the "craft-office-library-den-guest" room. Therein lies my problem. What to do in a room that has so many purposes. Currently, I have one wall that is my desk and file cabinet for my office. The other wall is my 3 piece book shelf unit that holds my collectibles (Emmett Kelly, teapots, beach stuff) and all my books (over 200 books, ergo the Library Room). Another wall has a couch that folds out into a queen size bed and a couple of slender dressers used to store some of my craft supplies. The other wall is a full closet which holds more crafts, excess storage and seasonal clothing. And anything else we can't find anyplace to store it. I have a 5' folding craft table that I store behind the door and get out when I'm going to craft. I have 2 medium and 2 small stackable wicker square trunks that sit in the corner. So, as you can see, I'm limited on rearranging. I would welcome any feedback. I may even have to "borrow" Debbie's organizational skills and get some help on this one. Deb...I'm so happy with the look of your new room. You inspire me.

National Park Week

April 17th - 25th, 2010 is National Park Week. Take time to enjoy the splendor of our Great Smoky Mountains. They have special events planned all week. You can find them listed at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/events.htm. Living in our beautiful mountains, many of us become so conditioned to the day to day living that we fail to stop and enjoy their magnificent beauty.

We complain about the traffic, the tourists and the constant road work. But do we even realize how blessed we are to live in the foothills of such beautiful mountains.

When you come here on vacation, you have plenty of time to the explore natures beauty. But living here, our day to day lives get in the way. Many of us have views of the mountains, but don't always take the time to just sit and admire their grandeur.

The next time you are stuck in traffic, don't strum your fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. Take a moment instead to look up ahead and look at the gently rolling hills of our majestic mountains. They are the one constant in times of trouble and change. Enjoy the beauty and peace they bring to our visitors. People spend millions of dollars coming here yearly to enjoy what we have daily for free.

What color is my car?

My car is one of those odd shades that nobody knows what to call it. The official color is called bronze, but it doesn't look anything like any bronze I've ever seen. Some friends think it is a coppery brown. I have never been able to figure it out.

Right now...It is yellow. You guessed it, I have been pollinated. I am so over the yellow stuff all over everything. It was beautiful Sunday and I decided to eat lunch out on my patio. Well, first the chairs were dusty so I was going to have to wipe them down good before I dared sit in one. Next, the glass table top was a layer of yellow so it was going to have to be washed and dried (probably more than once) before I would even consider eating on it. I went to open the umbrella and just touched the tab to unfold it got pollen on my hands.

But when the white fluffy stuff started flying by from the poplar trees, I gave up. By the time I would have gotten everything clean enough to go out their, the sun would have been down and I would have been famished.

Not to mention the yellow I clean off would be replaced with poplar fluff. I give up. I'll eat outside in July.

That's what I love about Sunday's by Craig Morgan

Raymond's in his Sunday best, He's usually up to his chest in oil an' grease. There's the Martin's walkin' in, With that mean little freckle-faced kid, Who broke a window last week. Sweet Miss Betty likes to sing off key in the pew behind me. That's what I love about Sunday: Sing along as the choir sways; Every verse of Amazin' Grace, An' then we shake the Preacher's hand. Go home, into your blue jeans; Have some chicken an' some baked beans. Pick a back yard football team, Not do much of anything: That's what I love about Sunday. I stroll to the end of the drive, Pick up the Sunday Times, grab my coffee cup. It looks like Sally an' Ron, finally tied the knot, Well, it's about time. It's 35 cents off a ground round, Baby. cut that coupon out! That's what I love about Sunday: Cat-napping on the porch swing; You curled up next to me, The smell of jasmine wakes us up. Take a walk down a back road, Tackle box and a cane pole; Carve our names in that white oak, An' steal a kiss as the sun fades, That's what I love about Sunday, Oh, yeah. Ooh, new believers gettin' baptized, Momma's hands raised up high, Havin' a Hallelujah good time A smile on everybody's face. That's what I love about Sunday, Oh, yeah. That's what I love about Sunday,

FAITH

This is my favorite word in the English language. I love grace, mercy, and hope. But faith is the very core of my being. I have been obsessed with faith since I was 16 and my Sunday School teacher explained it as an absolute trust in something that you cannot see, smell, touch or hear. Faith is something that just IS. He explained it to us like this. When we walk in to Sunday School class and choose a seat, we just sit down. We don't question anything. We don't ask if the chair will hold us. We don't look underneath to see what makes it work and determine its strength. We don't ask others their opinion or thoughts on what we should do. We simply sit down because we know that a chair is designed for sitting so we have faith that it will hold us up. The same is true of telephones, radios, tv's, lights, etc. We just reach over and answer the phone or click the remote without even thinking about it. We have faith that it will work and do what it is designed to do. Our faith in God should be that unquestionable. We should hand him our problems and have faith that He will help us in His way. We are bad about asking him to help us then trying to tell him how to do it, what results we want and the timeline to get the job done. We continue to obsess over the results and try to think of ways to make it work out the way we want. With faith, we should just say "Here Lord, please take care of this for me." Then walk away from it with a deep abiding trust that knows He will. I'm teaching children's church tomorrow and our lesson is about Doubting Thomas. Our lesson goal is to teach that faith is believing, even when you cannot see. I was explaining it to Caleb and asked him to stiffen his knees and fall back in my arms without bending them. I explained that faith is knowing I would never drop him or let him get hurt. It took a few tries, but he finally followed through and realized that I would take care of him. I showed it to Shebly and she just started immediately falling backwards into my arms without even thinking twice as to if I would catch her. This shows us that the older we get, the less trusting we are. Some of us are like Caleb, we want to test our faith a time or two before we fully let go and let God. Some of us are like Shelby, we just fall back into God's arms and let him catch us. Ask yourself... What type of faith do I have? May you have a strong childlike faith and place your cares at the Saviours feet, knowing that He will keep you in His care.

Joshua 1:9

Joshua 1:9 (New King James Version) says:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Good question. So why do we worry? Why do we let fear into our lives. The bible is full of passages such as this. God has instructed us time and time again "Do not be afraid." "Put your trust in the Lord." "Fear not."

One of my favorite quotes that I heard many years ago and it stuck with me is "Worry is like a rocking chair...it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."

So the next time you worry, quote one of your favorite bible verses and hand your problems to God to handle. He's on duty 24/7.